Revolt of the Fallen
by Opague Dreams
Summary: 4 years after the wizard world fell to voldmort, Hermione leads a band of rebels sworn to bring him down. Now Hermione gets the chance, but to take it she has to go into the core of Voldmort's home where she risks cause, friends, life and faces the love w
1. The Defiance

~*~*~*~*~*~*~4 years after the fall of Hogwarts.and the rise of Voldmort~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Hermione groaned and rubbed her temples. The longer she stared at the map and more confusing the lines and names and arrows got. She stood and went to the tent sink and filled a glass with water and drank it down just as the flap open and a tall man walked in. His fiery red hair stuck to the back of her neck with sweat and his freckles were almost hidden in his sun- tanned face. A face that made her heart ache suddenly, for another face so like it she had loved. After a moment the ache was gone, pushed to the back of her heart.  
  
"Hermione." She looked up at him worried but he had a big grin on his face.  
  
"What is it Ron?"  
  
"We found another hideout. Voldmort has a collection of deatheaters there, along with prisoners."  
  
Hermione nodded. "Get everyone ready. We'll move now, quickly. He walked back out and Hermione followed and looked around. The hot sun beat down on them even through the forest trees. Their camp was large..but not as large as it could have been, Hermione thought looking dejectedly at the rebels. All that was left of Hogwarts.  
  
She shook her head and cleared that. Most of them were the only survivors, others were wizards and witches who had refused to join Voldmort and had escaped with their lives. 700, Hermione though. Out of countless numbers of people, only 700. As she stepped out into the sun a cheer went up. She closed her eyes thinking. And I lead them.  
  
She opened her eyes again and pushed the long braid her hair was in behind her shoulder staring around resolutely. "Friends." Her voice rose like the cry of an eagle. "We're what' left. The Defiance. The last white fire." Her eyes blazed with fury as se remembered Voldmort attacking, destroying Hogwarts, the ministry and killing so many. Remembering all the people who had betrayed them by turning to Him and her heart lusted for vengeance. "Lets show them what it's like to mess with fire." Another cheer went up and Hermione grinned. Faith will hold us through.  
  
Wands flashed in the afternoon sun as they were drawn out and everyone apparated, arriving just beyond a two-floor cabin. A scanned behind me to make sure everyone had arrived.and arrived in one piece. She gestured for Ron and her came over.  
  
"Are you sure this is it?" She eyed the cabin. "It looks.simple."  
  
"Hermione, these are wizards. They could probably make what looks like a soup can into an acceptable hide out." He grinned and she returned it.  
  
"Alrighty them. Lets move." She drew out a gun from her waist. If any deatheaters got near enough she'd shoot them before they could utter a spell.  
  
The attack was fast.and amazing. Colored light flashed everywhere like fireworks. Hermione even heard shots ring out. Two others in the defiance had guns. A wizard who escaped from the Ministry when Voldmort took over and the part vela girl, Fluer. Hermione smiled as she saw Fluer using the black handled pistol and Fluer looked up and smiled back at her seductively her bright eyes sparkling. Hermione and Fluer had become lovers when Fluer joined with The Defiance after her family was murdered by Voldmort. Hermione saw only another glance of Fluer's shining head as more deatheaters moved in on her.  
  
The fight was over soon. Deatheaters lay dead on the floor. Almost none of The Defiance had gone down. Hermione ran her eyes over her rebels searching to make sure al those she cared deeply for where unharmed. It was selfish, she knew, but she couldn't help it. Satisfied, she jammed the gun back into the belt in her waist and motioned Fluer over.  
  
"Everyone ok?"  
  
Fluer nodded smiling a bit. "We lost Jamis though." Hermione looked away. She wasn't even sure who Jamis was and that made her feel guilty. Fluer must have seen it, because she picked up Hermione's hand gently. "Many survived because of you. You're a good leader."  
  
Hermione smiled and squeezed Fluer's hand in thanks. "Have everyone scour the whole place and free anyone the deatheaters captured." She jerked her chin towards the rebels. "They all know the drill." Fluer nodded then turned and headed to split up parties to search.  
  
Hermione turned and looked around. The room they were in was big. A circular room with 4 doors and a long hall. One of the doors had a bolt lock with strange symbols carved into the metal. She grimaced, this might be interesting. She put her wand to the door and tried an unlocking spell. The power hid the door, and sank right in, nothing happening. She snarled and tried a stronger spell enforcing all her will for a moment. The lock smoked and sizzled for a moment then clicked open.  
  
Hermione smirked as she walked in. "Amateurs." The room she entered was a study. A large desk of mahogany wood sat in the middle of a red-carpeted floor. Papers were spread out all over the desk. Two doors marked connecting rooms. One was open, a closet. The other was locked from the outside. The inside room was dark. Hermione moved forward drawing her gun.  
  
She unlocked the door and it swung open with a groan. Hermione stepped in side and automatically lights snapped on. The walls were made of rusty old metal, the floor hard cold stone. And on one of the walls a girl was chained to the wall, her head bent, thick dark hair hanging over her face. Her hands were bloody and her left ankle was twisted funny. Blood stained a white cloth that had been wrapped around her upper body and through a pair of blue jeans turning the material purple.  
  
Hermione starred in shock. She must have made some sound or maybe it was just the lights but the girl shifted and raised her head. Hermione stared. Defiance shone in the girl's eyes until she realized who it was she was looking at. Then instead shock registered, and then hope.  
  
"Hermione?" The girls voice was hoarse and dry.  
  
"My god! Lavender!?" 


	2. Lavender

Hermione ran to Lavender and pulled out her want touching them to the manacles that held her to the wall and murmured 'Liberis'. The chains fell away with a sound like a sigh and Lavender fell forward and Hermione caught her. Hermione had grown lithe and muscular, but even if she had still been her 14-year-old self Lavender was light enough she could have carried her then.  
  
Her waist was thin. So thin in fact that Hermione could almost fit her whole hand around is. Hermione stared down at her. "Bloody Hell. What happened?"  
  
Lavender gave her a weak smile. "If you don't mind I'd rather discuss it outside. Preferably eating." Hermione almost ran out. She couldn't believe it. Maybe more people from Hogwarts had escaped. Hermione remembered Lavender well. They'd become friends in 6th year when Ron and Harry's hormones kicked in full force and they went totally girl crazy. As a matter of fact if she remembered right they would have gone for anything in a skirt.  
  
She smiled a bit remembering the prank they'd played on Harry by taking his glasses then dressing his Firebolt up like a girl. She suddenly froze, her face plummeting into despair. It hurt to think of Harry, so she didn't.  
  
She settled Lavender down in a chair in the study and poked her head out the door. Ron stood in the doorway reading over something.  
  
"Ron." He looked up at her. "Send up tea and food, a lot. I found an old friend."  
  
He tilted his head. "Alright. I suppose you can't talk now then." He didn't wait for her to answer. "Ok, then. We found a lot that might interest you."  
  
She nodded. "Alright. I'll have Vera get you when I'm done." She grinned at him and punched him on the shoulder. "Cheer up. We won."  
  
He shook his head and walked away. Hermione stared after him sadly then turned and stepped back into the Study. Lavender had one of the documents from the desk in her hand, reading it. Hermione smiled and walked over sitting across from her.  
  
"I ordered some food sent up." Lavender looked at her.  
  
"So it's true."  
  
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "What is?"  
  
"Hermione Granger leads The Defiance." She smiled. "Who'd have thought?"  
  
"Yea." Hermione twisted her mouth wryly. "Who." It was a good question to wonder over too. What had happened to that brainy, quiet younger girl who had very rarely and only in extreme situations stuck a toe out of line? 'She stepped down,' part of her said. 'Moved aside when she couldn't do what it took as she was.' Hermione nodded in acceptance and looked at Lavender again.  
  
"How'd you escape?"  
  
Lavender sat back, her eyes straying to the ceiling. "I didn't have to get away...cuz I wasn't in the castle when Voldmort took over."  
  
"What."  
  
Lavender looked at her. "You know how I got kind of secretive and moody after 5th year." Hermione nodded and Lavender smirked a bit. "Well I had a mystery lover." She held up her hand when Hermione opened her mouth to speak. "Neville. I know, shocking. Who would have thought, yea yea. Anyway I found a secret passage to Hogsmead. It was this statue." She tilted her head when she saw Hermione nodding. "You know about it."  
  
Hermione grinned. "Somewhat."  
  
Lavender shrugged. "Well I was in that tunnel when he came. I guess Voldmort must not know about them. And he went for Hogwarts before Hogsmead so I didn't hear about it till I was away." She frowned and Hermione saw tears in the corner of her eyes. "I stood there and just stared at Hogwarts. The castle was nearly destroyed. The towers broken of so neatly. All my friends, people I cared about inside. I ran. It was cowardly but what could I do against Voldmort." Her eyes pleaded with Hermione to understand. "I found other wizards and witches. Hiding from Him. I heard about The Defiance from them. Heard about you. I told them I knew you and stupidly convinced them to go and find you and join."  
  
She sighed. "Of course we ran into a little club of Deatheaters." Her eyes gleamed. "They were escorting a wizard from America to Voldmort."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened. "Why!?"  
  
"I heard that there's another dark lord there. One stronger than even Voldmort. Voldmort sent a message there asking for help in taking over other countries." Lavender's eyes blazed with fear. "He wants the bloody world he does! Anyway the American dark lord sent up some kind of ambassador to go and judge whether or not it was worth their time. He wouldn't let them apparate. Didn't trust 'em that much so he sent deatheaters to escort him.'  
  
Hermione bound to her feet and started calling for Ron. If they missed the ambassador and he got to Voldmort- "Calm down." Lavender said cutting of her furious thought. "I killed him." Hermione gazed at her and she shrugged. "Why do you think he locked up and tortured me and no one else." She smiled smugly. "The ambassador just happened to miss the poison slipped into his drink."  
  
"How did you manage that?"  
  
Lavender shrugged again. "If there was going to be an attempt on his like he expected it to be magic or weapon and nothing so close. They were meeting when they captured up and we were taken to the room they were speaking in. He had wine so I threw myself at him pretending to be begging for my life. I put it in his glass then."  
  
Hermione's eyes darkened. "How'd they catch you?"  
  
"When he fell over dead they demanded to know who was responsible. No one said anything so they threatened to torture everyone." She shook her head making her dark hair ripple. "I wasn't going to let everyone suffer for my deed. Besides, I was proud I did it."  
  
Fluer came in then, her shining hair pulled back with a scrunci into a glorious ponytail. She smiled at Hermione. "Had Miriam raid their kitchens and cook something with real flavor." She set the tray down on the table. Plates of steaming meats and vegetables covered it along with two cups of tea. Her eyes turned to Lavender.  
  
Hermione grinned. "Fluer, this is Lavender Brown. The one we have to thank for preventing a fatal agreement between Voldmort and America."  
  
Fluer laughed brightly. "Always glad to meet a war hero. Especially a gorgeous one." She winked, smiling brighter as Lavender flushed then saluted Hermione. "Most of the prisoners are gonna join us. Thought you'd like to give them a once over."  
  
Hermione nodded "After I'm done."  
  
Fluer grinned and walked to the door and opened it. "Don't do anything I wouldn't." She said over her shoulder before leaving.  
  
Lavender looked at Hermione after she left. "I remember her. She was in the Triwizard Tournament. She's nice."  
  
"Yea."  
  
Lavender picked up a plate of food and started eating slowly although Hermione thought she must be ravenous. "Is she your lover?"  
  
Hermione choked. "How'd you know?"  
  
Lavender laughed. "Oh come on." She smiled seductively in a fair imitation of Fluer. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
Hermione laughed too. "Yea well. She's great, and I do care about her."  
  
Lavender turned grim now. "What about Ginny." Hermione paled and clenched her fists and teeth. Lavender saw this and her eyes turned hard. "What happened when Voldmort attacked?"  
  
Thoughts ran through Hermione's head. Lightening. Pain. Pain. Death. Hate. Hurt. Love. Death. Tell it! She had to. Lavender had a right to know. And she had to face it sometimes. Hermione sighed deeply and set down the cup of tea she'd picked up.  
  
"Well, it was a dark and stormy night- 


	3. Hermione

Lavender snorted. "Please. Must you start with a cliché?"  
  
Hermione glared. "Well it was dark and it was stormy damn it." Lavender shrugged and Hermione took a breath. "We were in the common room. We were suppose to be in the Great Hall for dinner, but I wanted to study for our final exams." She smiled a bit. "Harry and Ron were discussing Quidditch strategies for their last game. Ron was so happy about finally getting on the team that year." She sighed a bit in fond memory.  
  
"Anyway Harry had been constantly massaging her forehead. The thing that makes us both feel bad about it is that we were so wrapped up we didn't notice it till Neville walked in and said 'Harry, your head hurting?' We both looked up then and Harry just looked nervous."  
  
" 'It's ok Neville' I'd said. 'Harry's just stressed about the upcoming game.'  
  
"Neville slapped him on the back then 'It's ok Harry, you'll get 'em' then just kinda strolled out and Harry gave me this 'I love you so much for fixing that look'" She laughed a bit. "So then of course we started pounding him with questions about his scar. 'It's ok, really guys' he'd said."  
  
" 'You always say that," Ron'd said "and in the end you always end up being poked at by Deatheaters.' "  
  
" 'Well it doesn't feel that bad. I don't think he's to close' "  
  
" 'You should still go to Dumbledor now, Harry.' I suppose telling him that is what was able to save the few people we did. He agreed easily enough and we snuck up to Dumbledor's office." Hermione's eyes clouded. "It went downhill from there. When we told Headmaster his eyes got dark and worried. I'd never seen Dumbledor's eyes worried before. Then he led us down stairs and..opened a wall."  
  
Lavender's eyebrow lifted. "Opened a wall?"  
  
Hermione growled, "Well damned if I understand it either. The wall was there and then it wasn't ok!"  
  
"B-reath. I believe you. What happened then?"  
  
Hermione took a breath. "He told us to start bringing students down and hiding them in there. He wouldn't tell us what was going on. The storm got worse. We had a few Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and maybe 7 Slytherins hidden when He came."  
  
Lavender's eyes went the size of dinner plates. "He came Himself? Voldmort."  
  
Hermione nodded angrily. "The bastard just strolled right into the Great Hall. He forced everyone into it setting all the corridors on fire so that the choice was either the Great Hall or burn. He set STONE on fire." She shuddered. "And it seemed a dirt flame. Sickly yellow and green with a brown undertone, like it had mildewed. And those that got caught up in it.they didn't actually burn. Their skin just started to melt and slowly drip of their bones." She hugged herself breath ragged "The screams, worse than mandrakes could ever be."  
  
"How'd you hear everything?" Lavender asked trying to detour Hermione's thought. "If you were hidden how did you see and hear?"  
  
"Voldmort must not have known about the tunnel. It led all around the school. Like between the walls. I did a one-way mirror spell. We could see out, they couldn't see in. Voldmort walked to the front of the crowd, almost the whole school and looked out at them smiling. THE BASTARD SMILED!" She looked at the ceiling counting backwards slowly.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
" 'Ah, how the mighty have fallen. All who stand here before me have a choice.' Then he snapped and Dumbledor appeared in black chains. But how he stood. Proud and tall and calm and magnificent. A pillar of strength and Voldmort snarled and ordered him to bow. Dumbledor didn't move."  
  
"He stood and looked out at the students and glanced around the whole hall and said clearly 'Hope, is in the hearts of those who dare to need it. The fallen, never stay down.'" Hermione teeth clenched. "Then Voldmort pulled out his want. He was going to kill him and then Harry burst into the Hall. He'd went back through the tunnel and no one had even noticed. He went back! And he charged Voldmort. Just charged him and Voldmort waved his wand and Harry......Harry was just gone. Then Voldmort killed Dumbledor and turned still grinning."  
  
" 'Are those your heroes' He'd said. "Are those the ones you thought would save you? Your choice now. I will rule the Wizarding world. The ministry will fall, the schools will fall, all with fall to me. You may choose now, who joins me and lives and who is destroyed." Her eyes glazed over. "I remember the face of every person that joined him. 28 Slytherins, 6 Hufflepuffs, 3 Ravenclaws-" She paused blinking silently.  
  
Lavender looked at her intently. "Any Gryffindors?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "One."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Ginny Weasley."  
  
Lavender's mouth dropped open. "Not Ginny! Ginny wouldn't! She was sweet and loyal and..." Lavender looked at Hermione sympathetically "and she was loving."  
  
Hermione shook her head her throat tight. "I'll never forget. She walked up to Voldmort and looked him dead in the eye, nodded, and stood behind him placidly. Calm and strong. I didn't even se guilt in her eyes! None! She stood their and watched and Voldmort burned all those who stayed loyal!" Tear cascaded down Hermione's cheeks. "And I will never forgive her for that."  
  
Lavender hugged her gently. "How'd you all get out?"  
  
"We stayed hidden until Voldmort had settled sure that no one was left alive." She smirked. "I followed the tunnel down and it lead to a path under the grounds and into a muggle sewer. We got out there." She raised her head. "And then I remembered Dumbledor's words and I decided what I was going to do."  
  
Lavender watched amazed as Hermione's eyes lit up like a pair of dark suns as she spoke. "I looked at the few who had made it. 'We escaped with our freedom. With out lives. With our loyalty. But not with out pride. We watched while loved ones died for being pure. And we stood by while Voldmort rolled over us. He will take out home or life the life of family and friends and we can't stop him alone of by outward attack. We're small but we can fight. We can take little nicks out of every bit of his forces and power till he's so covered in battle wounds there's no strength left in him. We will bring together all those who would fight, how would rebel, who would defy. I am a defyer. I begin the Defiance. Who will continue it?" Hermione smiled proudly "They all did." 


End file.
